Fulfillment for industry: Jewelry

Are you looking for fulfillment solutions for your jewelry products? Wondering how to prepare your ecommerce for this process? In our article you will find useful tips and information about the most important stages of jewelry fulfillment:  

What do you know about the jewelry industry? 

The jewelry sector can be considered as part of or very close to the accessories and fashion industry. However, it has its own specifics, history, clients and we would like to bring it closer to our audience.  

For ages, people were giving a special meaning to jewelry, stones, luxurious watches - it was not only about the product itself but a very clear emphasis on social status, beauty, marriage status, personality. Therefore jewelry has a very wide spectrum of products: from cheap jewelry imitation, through fashion jewelry to very expensive unique accessories bought as investments. 

The last decades weren't the most prospering for the industry: current buyers are not so much for diamonds and gold - they rather prefer not expensive fashion accessories, that are replaced every year with new ones. Moreover, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people switched their spending to more adequate buyings or decided to save for rainy days. Many marriages and engagements were postponed, so sales of wedding rings decreased. 

However, fine jewelry is still considered to be the main purchase for most consumers. 

Trends and opportunities for jewelry ecommerce 

Social media and visual experiences 

“We buy with our eyes” – when it comes to jewelry, for sure it’s a valid sentence. This is why so many jewelry sellers selected social media as one of the sales channels. Driven by the impulse, we decide to click on the link under the beautiful photography of, for example, earrings and finalise the purchase. 

Via social media brands can also offer a personal touch, interaction, which is very important from the user’s experience point of view. 

Personalisation 

As jewelry is a durable product, often used as a carrier of sentimental value, it gives a brand an opportunity to offer desirable, personalised products. With an additional cost, you can offer a service of making the product unique. 

Another option is to make a product fully customised when your consumers can design jewelry as they want it to be. It becomes a unique accessory that is more than just fashion jewelry. 

Limited editions 

Jewelry has to be unique, that’s for sure. If not totally personalised, then at least from a limited collection. This idea gives a huge potential to collaborate with influencers, celebrities to create collections together, or to build a brand image by designing full stories supported by your jewelry. 

Wearable technology 

The popularity of wearable technology is growing, in Insight’s wearable tech report stays that over 245 million devices were sold in 2019, while Ovum reports that wearable devices will reach 650 million in 2020. It’s not only about watches, smartwatches, we have already smart bracelets and rings. For sure it’s a very interesting trend worth watching. 

Consumer expectations 

What do jewelry customers really want? Apart from a perfect product, where the price is often not the most important factor, clients are expecting an outstanding customer experience. What does it mean? First, your products should be sold on different channels, but all of them should be a top star when it comes to security. There is no place for a buyer to consider whether the company is trustworthy, or there is a risk of fraud. The same expectation occurs when we speak about payments. Clients expect to be offered a wide range of payment methods, but all of them should be very secure. 

Generally speaking, the jewelry industry is one of those where customers spend more money. Such clients will expect to be treated individually, with special care. Personalised communication, events, all the techniques that will make your client feel special will also make him or her come back for a future purchase, or advice others to buy from your company. 

Best storage methods for the jewelry 

Jewelry products are usually small, made from durable materials, so storing them is not the biggest challenge. However, also here we need to make sure that they are safe, and the partner we have chosen to operate our inventory is trustworthy. 

Another thing is inventory management. Whenever a customer buys multiple goods at the same time, 3,000 people can only buy one item and we cannot send them into the warehouse. Identify the best-selling jewelrs and do it right away if they want to have an opportunity you have to make it immediately. You'll estimate what you need depending on your previous month, which typically takes about 3 months. If the ecommerce store sells jewelry for you, you get a cheaper price. This adds several benefits when building this toolkit. You’re securing more inventory that works and your prices are significantly lower. If doing everything in your own capacity, will increase earnings as well. 

Shipping and packaging 

Boxes are probably the most popular type of jewelry packaging. These come in a range of styles, colours, and materials. You can add some personalisation by preparing special packages, using different materials, etc. Excellent packaging materials don't have to cost a fortune, and they will boost a shopping experience for your customers. 

Another very important thing is shipping. Safety first, and without insurance, you shouldn't send anything. Sometimes, negotiating can save insurance vary substantially by decreasing the price of insurance. Usually, the post office provides many useful resources. Make sure they provide insurance to ensure you can comply with their legal requirements.  

How to manage jewelry fulfillment services? 

When the brand operates a limited jewelry order, you can manage the business by yourself, selling on an ecommerce platform, taking care of inventory levels, packing, and shipping. However, if the business starts to grow, it's good to find the right fulfillment service. Enough to say, that when you start dealing with international shipping, it's the right time to rediscuss the method on your online order fulfillment. Many businesses decided to focus on sales and marketing when leaving the logistics services to the right partner, that will do all the things in a professional way. 

Returns policies for jewelry: how to manage with help of fulfillment company? 

A clear return policy is of great importance when selling. The client wishes that, even if something happened, the product was returned. Increased 30-day returns can be helpful for webshop performance. This process helps enhance customer experience, which also means increased sales when acquiring your jewelry. Unfortunately, customers generally have not always preferred to go overseas. If there’re fewer fulfillment centers and less space in their stores that can serve them they must use this service. 

Summary 

Do you feel that some of the recommendations we have outlined are a problem for you? Need help planning the fulfillment strategy for your business? We are here to help! 

We aim to provide the best possible experience for your customers throughout the entire order fulfillment process. We will not only help you to find the best solutions but also to optimise specific phases and choose the right partners. 

With us you will release your potential: 

• with a single contract, you get a professional service for the entire logistics process,
• if you want to start selling internationally, you will get access to the intelligent Fulfillment Network,
• we provide support and expert advice from the beginning of our cooperation,
• technical assistance for the implementation and integration of our solutions.

How does this benefit your business? 

• Save time and creativity for what you specialise in,
• open a new path of expansion for your ecommerce business,
• reach competitive advantage and grow! 

What problems we can eliminate? 

• no more troubles with poor order processing,
• no more negotiations, unclear offers, and searches for the right logistics operator,
• no more reliance on big, corporate players only!